


Criadhach

by howurdvance



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 14:31:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17851349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howurdvance/pseuds/howurdvance
Summary: From a prompt seen on Reddit by wildcard5 : McGonagall is secretly evil and manipulative while Snape is a sweeter man than depicted in the books.





	Criadhach

Breakfast was especially tense that morning. Minerva’s gaze swept over the head table as she primly cut into her poached egg. Filius was politely listening to Sybill spout gibberish on her left, while to her right Albus was absentmindedly buttering a piece of toast. However, at the end of the table, Severus’ posture was stiff enough to hear his chair creak with every move he made.

Minerva didn’t feel any compunction leaning over the Charms professor, interrupting the myopic Seer as she addressed her former pupil.

“Severus, has no one explained how to order from the kitchens?”

His arm jerked as he continued to stare down at his empty plate. His lank hair shrouded his face, but she could still see the nervous twitch of his cheek. 

“Headma-“ he coughed, “Albus,” he continued shakily, “has given me the proper instructions.”

“Then why on Earth do I see nothing in front of you? I do hope you aren’t feeling ill. You’ll need your wits about you if you’re to be an adequate instructor.”

Albus shifted slightly in his chair, giving no indication that he was paying attention, although she knew better than to assume he wasn’t listening in like a hawk.

“I’m in good health, thank you,” he replied a bit tersely. Two of the quieter students at the Ravenclaw table glanced up after hearing his tone. She knew Severus was acutely aware of the older children staring at the young man they remembered as a fellow student.

“Well, I do hope your first day goes well,” she laughed a bit under her breath after taking a bite of her egg. “Filius, do you remember your first class? I remember being a bundle of nerves myself!” 

Filius chuckled. “Now now Minerva, Severus here has nerves of steel. I’m sure he’ll be perfectly fine, won’t you my boy?”

Severus jerked again in his seat and abruptly stood.

“If you’ll excuse me.” He laid his napkin down on his chair and stalked off towards the staff door.

“You shouldn’t prod at him so,” Albus said quietly. “You understand what he is like.”

“I still don’t understand how, *why,* you would bring that loathsome boy back into this-“

“That’s enough.” She felt his magical aura pulse out in warning. She continued on with her breakfast giving no indication anything was amiss.

———-

Later that evening, a tabby wandered the halls, steadily making its way down to the dungeons. A few students passed, furtively attempting to get back to their common room before Filch found them out past curfew. The cat slowly wound itself behind a suit of armor and waited.

A few minutes later, a haggard looking man in dark robes shouldered open a heavy door. He was hunched over a pile of parchment as he hurried past, not bothering to look up from his perusal. Ink stained his calloused fingers and the scent of sulfur wafted behind him as his boot-heels clicked out an irregular pattern down the stone hall.

Minerva let out a plaintive “meow” as she emerged into the torchlight.

Severus’ footsteps faltered. Minerva remembered his fondness for cats when he was a boy. He had one when he was a student, a pathetic little thing he had found half drowned when he was a third year. He should have left it for dead given what Black had done with the poor creature later that year.

The man’s eyes darted around furtively, hand already on his wand. Always paranoid, always twitching. She stretched easily, flicking her tail as she looked up at him. She caught his eye finally as his pupils adjusted to the dim lighting. “Meeeeeow.”

“Hullo little one,” he said slowly approaching. His thin lips curled into a tentative smile. He crouched down and reached a careful hand out for her to smell. She rubbed her cheek against his fingers and purred. “How’s the castle tonight?” She continued to purr and flopped down on her side. He gently sat the pile of parchment he had been holding onto the ground as he settled into a crouch, trying not to scare her away.

“You must be one of the students.’ You are far too lovely to be a stray.” She could hear the smile in his voice. Suddenly, she heard a noise from down the corridor. Her ears twitched and she stilled. As Severus’ head turned she jerked away, leaping down the hall and around the corner.

“Who’s there? Another whelp out after hours?”

“Ah, no, hello Mr. Filch. I was just heading back to my rooms now.”

“Ahhh, if it’s not our newest professor! Begging your pardon, I was just doin’ me rounds.”

Minerva lost track of the rest of the conversation as she stalked back to her rooms. 

———

Throughout the month, Minerva periodically ambushed the new professor as he exited his classroom. At some point, he had taken to carrying small fish he stole at breakfast in his pocket, kept fresh under a stasis charm. She had caught him secreting a kipper in his robes last week. The highest points of his sallow cheeks had flushed an unattractive shade when she’d raised an eyebrow at his seemingly odd behavior. When he was a boy she had caught him squirreling food away as well, although she suspected that may have been a holdover from a neglectful home.

———

“Have you come to collect your tithe?”

Tonight was Halloween. All day the students had been celebrating, bellies full of sweets and the tension released from their shoulders as they memorialized the day He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated by a mere baby. 

Today she had slunk into his office after he didn’t emerge at his usual hour. He didn’t notice that he had not left the door open. 

He looked half dead. His dark eyes were cast into deep relief by the candle sitting atop his disorganized workbench, and his overly-large nose cut a sinister shadow down his face. In the glimmering light, she saw his skin was wet with tears despite his lack of expression.

“It’s my fault little one. I killed her.” Severus pulled his hands away from where they were clenched in his hair and withdrew the fish from his pocket. She stared up at him as he flung it towards her.

“Meeeeeow.”

“Everyone I love, everything I touch, dies.” He looked away, staring at the wall. She jumped onto the desk, purposely attempting to gain his attention as she walked over to him. Suddenly he turned to her, an angry notch between his brows.

“Get out of here. Shoo! Do you want to die too?” he snarled.

Minerva hissed, arching her back. He made to swipe her off the desk and she clawed his hand as it approached.

He raised his finger to his mouth, swearing under his breath as she quickly ran from the room. She could hear muffled sobs as she transformed outside his door. 

A wicked grin drew across her face as she took the blood from under her nails and transferred them to the criadhach she had been creating ever since Snape had been appointed at Hogwarts.

“Finally,” she breathed as the little doll thrummed with magic.

———


End file.
